12 flourecent lamp driver

[dracoamericanus]

I will try to post here and hopefully some one has some ideas
Hello
I have a question about a small project from a few years ago, basically it is a single lamp fluorescent lamp inverter/ballast. Mine got broken a while back and for the life of me i can not find it in the archives. The transformer is home made using and emi filter core that can be found at radio shack and used a TIP41c for the main switch. It has a feedback coil to allow it to oscillate and could drive a normal lamp, one side of the heater in the lamp was also energized. If memory serves it was from at lest 3 years back. Does any one remember this artical? any help would be great, I want to repair the one i damaged and make a few more. The main lamp i want to drive now is a 5 watt short wave lamp for this summer when i head head out looking for fluorescent rocks.
thanks.
The original inverter was able to night a full 4 foot long lamp using a self wound transformer and the current could be selected by using different spacers in the gap between the ferrite core. I just cant find it as i don't remember the terminology for this forums search engine.
Even a different design would be good as long as it's something i can build rather then buy
Thank you

[jwax]

How about cannabalizing a power supply from an LCD monitor?
If not available, a google of fluorescent lamp drivers should yield loads of designs.

[dracoamericanus]

the ccfl drivers operate on a different voltage and wont fully start the lamp.

I fail to understand why the search page did not find the results but the ballast build is in vol. 30 no 10 page 28 in the Q and A section , December 2009.
I am so glad i keep the paper volumes lol